In a nail-biting finish, Saudi Arabia defeated China 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the AFC U20 Asian Cup held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Substitute Amar Alyuhabi secured the victory with a last-minute goal in the 95th minute, sending Saudi Arabia through to the semifinals and ensuring their qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
China dominated possession throughout the match but faced challenges in converting their opportunities, including a missed penalty in the second half that was saved by the Saudi goalkeeper. Head coach Dejan Djurdjevic opted for China's strongest lineup, aiming to capitalize on their possession advantage. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia surprised many by benching key starters such as Rakan Alghamdi, Talal Haji, and Ziyad Alghamdi, instead relying on fresh legs in the final minutes.
Early in the game, Wang Yudong came close to scoring for China with a powerful shot that narrowly missed the target. Later, Wang won a penalty in the 59th minute, but Liu Chengyu's attempt was thwarted by the Saudi goalkeeper. As the match progressed into the final 30 minutes, Saudi Arabia introduced several substitutes, including Alyuhabi and Haji, whose collaboration culminated in the decisive goal.
In the other quarterfinal match, Australia edged out Iraq with a 3-2 victory to secure their place in the semifinals. According to AFC U20 Asian Cup regulations, the top four teams will qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup scheduled to take place in Chile from September to October. With these results, both Saudi Arabia and Australia have successfully booked their spots in the upcoming global tournament.
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China lose to Saudi Arabia in U20 AFC Asian Cup quarterfinals
cgtn.com
